PL: Stoke a Ratings and Reactions

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

he also has over 30 caps for wales - and he made his debut in 2004, thats five years before he joined us.

You make some valid points and I'm not saying they've all been turned around and made good but I don't think too many others managers would of possibly bought the best out of these players like what we see today.

I picked out this quote as it made me laugh, I think the general Welsh population have a good chance of getting 30 caps for their country!

[coda]

Stoke anti football.

I don't know how they sell their stadium out when their modus operandi is to get a throw in on the opponent's 18 yard line.

Frustrating match. I think I will cry if we don't buy a quality goalscorer in the summer.

[rjshare]

he also has over 30 caps for wales - and he made his debut in 2004, thats five years before he joined us.

You make some valid points and I'm not saying they've all been turned around and made good but I don't think too many others managers would of possibly bought the best out of these players like what we see today.

I picked out this quote as it made me laugh, I think the general Welsh population have a good chance of getting 30 caps for their country!

its not that funny - mark delaney only made 36 - its not like they play at major tournaments every two years is it?

anyway, my original post was that we AREN'T seeing the best of these players today.

we are seeing them fighting tooth and nail for the same cause, but as a collective unit they arent as good as they perhaps could be in my opinion.

[parisvilla]

Stoke anti football.

I don't know how they sell their stadium out when their modus operandi is to get a throw in on the opponent's 18 yard line.

Frustrating match. I think I will cry if we don't buy a quality goalscorer in the summer.

The more I think about Stoke the more ridiculous their entire philosophy appears. Their fans might say otherwise but throwing the ball into the box from anywhere inside the opponent's half just isn't football. I'd guestimate that Delap wastes/uses up about 10 minutes per match getting towels and drying the ball - this isn't accounted for by match officials. I don't know whether Cuellar was given a towel today but in some Stoke games I've seen other teams wanting to take long throws have been declined a towel... surely this isn't fair?

It's even gotten to the stage that a key feature of Burnley's gameplan against them in midweek was to move the advertising boards closer to the touchline to prevent a decent run up.

Fair play to Pulis because their strategy evidently has had a degree of success, but I find myself wondering whether something ought to be done? What are people's thoughts? (Especially those who have spent 30 bones watching the dross today)

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

he also has over 30 caps for wales - and he made his debut in 2004, thats five years before he joined us.

You make some valid points and I'm not saying they've all been turned around and made good but I don't think too many others managers would of possibly bought the best out of these players like what we see today.

I picked out this quote as it made me laugh, I think the general Welsh population have a good chance of getting 30 caps for their country!

its not that funny - mark delaney only made 36 - its not like they play at major tournaments every two years is it?

anyway, my original post was that we AREN'T seeing the best of these players today.

we are seeing them fighting tooth and nail for the same cause, but as a collective unit they arent as good as they perhaps could be in my opinion.

Possibly and although are football isn't as good as it can be, it's effective and we have only lost 6 games in 38 domestic games now I believe. One cup final, one cup semi-final and still in with a fair shout of 4th position, we may not be pretty but we are good at what we do and that mainly is working very hard as a team and playing together which then in some games like Burnley we do get to see the creative talents of our more forward players.

and as for Wales, look at their current team, a few of them are playing below the Premiership.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Stoke anti football.

I don't know how they sell their stadium out when their modus operandi is to get a throw in on the opponent's 18 yard line.

Frustrating match. I think I will cry if we don't buy a quality goalscorer in the summer.

The more I think about Stoke the more ridiculous their entire philosophy appears. Their fans might say otherwise but throwing the ball into the box from anywhere inside the opponent's half just isn't football. I'd guestimate that Delap wastes/uses up about 10 minutes per match getting towels and drying the ball - this isn't accounted for by match officials. I don't know whether Cuellar was given a towel today but in some Stoke games I've seen other teams wanting to take long throws have been declined a towel... surely this isn't fair?

It's even gotten to the stage that a key feature of Burnley's gameplan against them in midweek was to move the advertising boards closer to the touchline to prevent a decent run up.

Fair play to Pulis because their strategy evidently has had a degree of success, but I find myself wondering whether something ought to be done? What are people's thoughts? (Especially those who have spent 30 bones watching the dross today)

During the season, you think, it's effective so what?

But when you actually watch the games, it's really horrible and boring and it's sad that, the crowd are like on their feet and "Oooooo" for throw-in's etc...

it's abit stupid really. Luckily he's old and will be out of the team soon if they want to progress.

[TrentVilla]

Its remarkable though isn't it, a horrid way for a team to play but what a throw he has got. I've seen players with long throws before, Vinnie Jones probably had one of the best, but Delap's is something else altogther.

[rjshare]

he also has over 30 caps for wales - and he made his debut in 2004, thats five years before he joined us.

You make some valid points and I'm not saying they've all been turned around and made good but I don't think too many others managers would of possibly bought the best out of these players like what we see today.

I picked out this quote as it made me laugh, I think the general Welsh population have a good chance of getting 30 caps for their country!

its not that funny - mark delaney only made 36 - its not like they play at major tournaments every two years is it?

anyway, my original post was that we AREN'T seeing the best of these players today.

we are seeing them fighting tooth and nail for the same cause, but as a collective unit they arent as good as they perhaps could be in my opinion.

Possibly and although are football isn't as good as it can be, it's effective and we have only lost 6 games in 38 domestic games now I believe. One cup final, one cup semi-final and still in with a fair shout of 4th position, we may not be pretty but we are good at what we do and that mainly is working very hard as a team and playing together which then in some games like Burnley we do get to see the creative talents of our more forward players.

and as for Wales, look at their current team, a few of them are playing below the Premiership.

stokes football is effective, and they are good at what they do. its keeping them in the premier league against all the odds. when west ham go down they will perhaps look back and think that a few more long balls in to cole and a bit less square passing accross the midfield might have kept them up.

but us? sorry, it may be effective to a certain degree, but i feel that our "style" (seems totally the wrong adjective to use) of play is holding back some (most) of our players rather than getting the best out of them.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Not sure I agree really, I think we do keep the ball well at times, from the second half, we moved the ball fine across the midfield but still haven't got enough ability upfront to give them someone to feed.

our midfield are talented players but upfront, don't think we give enough options.

Looking at our results, you could let them loose abit more but I think this can also lose you matches, especially against better teams.

[Qwpzxjor1]

As soon as I saw Carew and Heskey up front together I knew what was coming. I'm just glad the defense did their job and earnt us a point.

And as for the Stoke rants about their 'anti-football', it's kept them in this league against the odds, and put them in a position to look up and not down. It's up to us to stop them playing that way.

[VillaChris]

I quite like the throw ins tbh, Infact I've been to see Stoke 13 or 14 times in the three years I've been up here for Uni and today was the first 0-0 I've seen.

I think it's a bit silly to criticise Delap when it seems we've spent all week working on Carlos throwing the ball long which was a complete and utter waste of time as all the time Faye, Higgy and Huth just headed it away.

Surely we should've done what we normally do and do a short throw in allowing Young and Downing to cross the ball into the box.

[ligs]

Well there's £60 odd I won't ever get back, what an awful game of football.

Ratings wise, everyone gets a 5 - average, with the exception of:

Petrov: 6 - for, as ever, being there to cover where others should've been

Collins: 8 - imperious defensive display

[RunRickyRun]

Bit of a drab 0-0 but a great game if you are an aficionado of defensive headers.

Collins was superb.

[OutByEaster?]

I'm really not sure that Delfouneso is ready for the first team.

I'm increasingly sure that the first team is ready for Delfouneso.

[TrentVilla]

I'm really not sure that Delfouneso is ready for the first team.

I'm increasingly sure that the first team is ready for Delfouneso.

Wise and accurate summary for me that OBE.

[DiegoD]

I'll take a point at Stoke but i wish we'd risk it more to win. A win and loss is better than 2 draws and in games like this the risk is well worth the return.

Our defense was great, did their job and did it well. Our attack was impotent we didn't really look like scoring. Playing Heskey and Carew up front doesn't mean we should play hoofball they both play better with the ball at their feet. King Carlos should not do long throw ins!!!! the reason Delaps throws are dangerous isn't the distance its the trajectory. Throwing loopy balls into the box is useless.

[JulieB]

Mind numbingly boring watching Delap's throw ins, interspersed with corners, freekicks et al. I kept waiting for the football match to start!

It never materialised like last season!! Knew it would be just the same TBH. It's like the ALAMO, glad we got a point TBH & loads of fans

seemed to be saying the same before kick off, cos we got mugged last season.

Fair play to Collins & Dunne today, particularly Collins - he got his head first to nearly every Delap throw in into the box.

Absolutely freezing watching that dross in the force 10 gale. NEVER been so glad to dash back to the bus after the final whistle to defrost.

Fuller is better than Heskey and I've been saying we should have swapped them in January for ages.

He'd be a decent foil for Gabby IMHO.

Have absolutely no idea how Stoke fans sit through that lot twice a month. No wonder they don't sing half as much these days.

It's not football. Villa fans were great again.

Oh and did I mention how cold it was?!!

[Stu_The_Villan]

People are pissed off and some other people can't understand. A point away to Stoke is not a terrible result, as Stoke away are difficult, we all get that.

But it's not the result, is it, it's the performance that led to the result. We just never looked like threatening them. They had us sussed from the start and MON refused to change. I understand he trusts in his guys, but sometimes you have to take a chance, change your shape.

I'll never understand the people who think a draw is such a great result from a points perspective. If you lose a couple of games going for wins and win a couple in the same manner you will end up ahead. If not at least you had a go. The odd point gained from drawing really only helps further down the league. Man City have lost less than any other team in the league and yet are miles off the top due to draws. What I'm saying is that in the race for 4th there's two results - winning and failing to win. That's all that matters. And yet on days like today our team seems happy enough with the point. Arrghh.

For my money (and people will probably hate me going back to this) I'd still love to see 4-5-1 with Gabby up front. I think it brings out the best in our players.

There's so many people saying 'Heskey was better than Carew, don't slag Heskey.' The point is neither should be in the team when they play like that. I like Heskey, I see what he offers, but he doesn't suit us one bit.

I absolutely 100% agree with this. Top post

[Stu_The_Villan]

but us? sorry, it may be effective to a certain degree, but i feel that our "style" (seems totally the wrong adjective to use) of play is holding back some (most) of our players rather than getting the best out of them.

Yeah. When you look at our team on paper we should be wiping the floor with the likes of Stoke. We have good attacking players but it looks like they dont have a gameplan and are just playing on instinct - which is good if the team has understanding but i honestly believe this team doesnt. When you consider that MoN picks more or less the same team week in week out we should be playing with more cohesion than we do. Like i said earlier, we looked like a team of strangers who have never played with each other before.

I homestly think we need to shake things up...drop a couple of the big time charlies who KNOW theyre gonna play every week and give the youngsters a chance. I guarantee that it would add a spark to our play thats been missing for the past couple of months

[dudley_villa]

Horrible game, colder than sunderland away 2 years ago, boaring, no beer half time, no pies.....

Just glad i was back in 40 mins....